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Session No.: 34
Kauai - North - Hanalei
That's the SNN official Hawaiian scale forecast - it's always right. I can verify it!
Sweet revenge, although I don't think I was looking for revenge. I was looking for some Hawaiian
Punch and I think I got it today. After yesterday my resolve to surf some heavier stuff no matter
what kicked in, and before going to sleep I just told myself to get up early again, put DP into the
SUV and head back to the bay and paddle out. No stopping to look, no hesitating to go out,
just go. Again, there were tons of boards and bodies flying south on the road, and I still wonder
what that's all about. Not just a few, but, like, a LOT of boards on top of trucks and cars. Maybe
people take them with them to work and whatnot when they go into Lihui or however you spell it, then
surf after work. Makes sense. Because the north coast is the place to be at the moment, although I did
hear on the radio that the west side has also been quite large.
I also told myself that I was going to wear whatever I wanted to wear out to the point and not
worry about what anyone thought, thinks, says, looks at me, whatever. Fine. I'm just some kook
mainlander wearing a vest on top of a long sleeve UV rashguard and reef walkers. I want waves,
not fashion points, and using familiar equipment and gear gave me the confidence that I wanted.
Not many people around at all early on. And I'm still amazed how the wind changes so quickly,
it's like a Curse Wind, when I show up, no matter what time, the glass turns to texture,
turns to part gale, turns to chop, turns to howling side offshore, the type where you're getting
the garden hose in the face trying to just paddle into a wave. But this is Hawaiian surfing.
DP's my Hawaiian Hero. Wax him up, comb him, hold him, leash him up, paddle him. It's as simple as that.
Won't catch any waves worthy of DP unless you paddle him out. It was about half as rippy, about half as
big and I was twice as prepared. Which is why I got four screamers in three hours, and that's fine with me.
Me and another visiting guy paddled out at about the same time and both got really lucky and got waves
quite quickly. Definitely waves of consequence, huge lumpy storm type of peaks, splitting off and going
up to point in a peak, or breaking off and coming to us sitting at Flat Rock, except about 50 yards outside
where I had previously been surfing the place. I like the Flat Rock section. And it was familiar. Plus I'm
used to "swing sets" or "wide swing waves" off the main peak. The Hawaiian locals all on their 10-8s,
SUPs and such were taking off on the point waves. Although there weren't that many, and gradually over the session
they either moved inside of me, or went over to the bowl section, where a lot of the guys out were
actually set up. Paddling out I saw a couple guys get rides there that were nothing but drops and kick
outs, I had no desire for that. I wanted to drop in and ride.
I saw a couple of real thick bombs come in on the point up about 50 yards from me and was surprised to
feel the desire to go over and get one. I really should have. They were very makeable, had a good sloped
shoulder after barrelling hard coming toward us...and the crowd would have allowed it. I think that was
my only mis-cue of the morning. Shoulda just paddled over there and nailed one. I just could not get
a time on it, the swell has been so mixed up and stormy that I could not figure out any intervals
or time between "sets." It was mostly still coming in relentlessly, just half the size of yesterday,
a mini version of it, if you want to call it that.
Being out made me proud and feel like I was pushing boundaries and finally got to feel the power of the
Hawaiian Islands again like I did on Oahu. You just don't go up and over waves or sit there and let them
pass under you, you paddle over huge moving walls of water, even if it not breaking. Every once and a while,
somewhere between 30 and 50 minutes, two bombs would come in. My position on the edge of flat rock
gave me an advantage when it came to these bombs - getting away from them. Everyone set up at point
took them on the head every time. No one rode them. But my advantage at a 45 degree angle from those
guys was that I could see them go down on their boards in the panic paddle, and being deeper than they were
and behind them, instead of getting hosed, I was paddling up the 20 foot faces sideways while it threw out
and thundered by me. Then I'd hump it over the second one, look back, and see everyone recovering
in the whitewater. Kinda made me smirk a little bit inside. I had no desire to get cleaned up like
that, although it wasn't too bad for the guys that did.
So everything seemed to be working well for me. I stuck that first wave and it was dark and fast and huge and wally
and I had to kick out at the bowl section because it was shutting down. The second wave was just like that, about
40 minutes later. It took a lot of position paddling and patience to get one. It was not perfect
Hanalei by any account, and you never knew of a peak was going to split east, split west, or
split both ways and close out. I was able to pick all four of my waves out of that split sitting at Flat Rock
and watching the ocean and learning which ones were going to break or split off where. All my waves
came because of watching that. You had to make a split second decision, really because it was only
at the last moment that you knew which type of wave it was.
The spray was the most bothersome thing about the whole deal today. I would have had a better shot at getting
at least 10 waves if it wasn't for the hard wind blowing up the face and just blinding you. Backed out of quite
a few because I didn't feel my board start to move forward enough, then didn't have the visual acuity to
see if I needed to paddle more or what. I opted to back out of those and just got garden hosed
out the back in plumes of horsetail spray. Gave me a sense of how big the surf was, but also pissed me
off because I had found a place now in confidence, equipment and being where I wanted to get 20 waves,
you know? And it would have been possible.
The wind blew hard and cold. Rain squalls passed through, and I actually was cold. The rash guard was staying
wet all the time, the sun was only out between the clouds about 1/3 of the time and when the rain and wind
combined, I downright shivered, really. Then the sun would come out and I was like, "please, please,
stay out," but it would go away again. It was cool being out when it was raining, and also watching the
rain clouds come over the mountains in squalls where you could see heavy rain falling and sweeping
over land. The scenery was great.
The first two waves were caught when it was dark and cloudy and stuff. My second two waves were much more
visually appealing, with an aqua blue/turquoise green hue when the sun was out. The first two looked
mean. The second two looked Hawiian, you know? I wish the wind would have stopped, the sun stayed out
and then I would have put in like six hours. But that wind just kept getting stronger and stronger.
Well, when those 20 foot face bombs came through, it actually glassed off the surface pretty well. But that
only lasted about 10 minutes. Never got over the fear when they appeared, or when the guys up point went
down in that panic paddle. There's nothing like seeing five guys with the nose of their boards three feet up from
their heads paddling their asses off for the horizon, you know? Ha.
The swell was easing back as I entered into the third hour and things got inconsistent, only from a riding
waves standpoint. There were still wave after wave coming through, but they were all rolling through
and breaking inside with no one on them. It required adjustment for everyone, that's when I felt that I should
have got one of those 20 foot facers early in the session. The consequences were not really that
harsh, plus if I would have made one I would have gotten some instant respect and the wave of the trip. But I'm
happy with my four in three hours today. My last one was the best. I was looking for one in and got really
picky about which one. I moved inside in a bold move, but there had not been one of those two wave cleanups
in over an hour. Which means we were either due, or they were done.
So I set up about 10 to 15 yards inside, plus the damn wind was actually blowing us all out to sea and we
had to adjust back in. About 10 minutes later what I think was one of the two wave sets, but smaller,
started to come in. There was no warning from the point guys because they either left or had moved
inside even with me. The first one had NO written all over it and was a paddle-over. The second one was
all YES all GO and all mine.
It was the largest wave I caught of the trip, and I knew it. Me and DP turned for it, as it feathered green
in a patch of sunlight, didn't care about the spray because I knew I could catch it, no one else around, everyone
was deeper, it was a swinger, gave tons and tons of paddle power, and when I opened my eyes (or the
spray eased, I can't remember which), I was dropping into about a 15 foot point type of wave that
wasn't closing out at all. It was just great. I think the best thing about it was the positioning, the ability
to get over the first one, and nail the second one without even have to look around for anyone else as they
all were paddling up the face to get out of the way. I'm an expert in that situation for sure. I do it
in Baja all the time. It's where I learned how to catch waves like that.
The wave and your speed and having to take a high line to make it all goes by so very fast that you really
don't have time to think about it, you know those kinds of waves? That once every foot of it is behind you,
all you see is the next point down the line, and when that's gone, so is that memory, it takes so much
concentration, especially at size at a break you don't really know.
What I did know was that it was a screamer, I didn't even feel DP underneath me, it was like my first wave
at Sunset Beach on Oahu 18 months ago - the board took over. I might have been the paddler and the rider,
but that board is like a taxi. You just tell it where you want to end up, and it takes you there. I came
back to reality approaching the bowl, because wierd stuff was happening in there. With the not-ideal
swell angle, the bowl end section was actually folding down and breaking towards the riders at the end of
the waves. I had seen this paddling back out and prepared for it when going into that section. Then there
it was, like 10 feet of whitewater bounce, and it was cool to anticipate it, turn about 90 degrees,
have it all explode around me, grabbed a rail with my right hand to steady DP, rode out the whitewater,
and actually got to ride another reform section.
I'd say that last wave was about six feet overhead - what many would call double overhead, with the Hawaiian
Punch behind it. So a solid 12 foot face or so, give or take more I think. Who knows. All I know is that I really
don't remember much of it, and my last thoughts were "ride it as far as possible" because the paddle to the inside
reef and to the beach sucks if you don't ride a wave at least half way in. DP took over again when the whitewater
eased up and we made it over half way in, and I was stoked to not have to padddle all the way in.
I was way more stoked on doing what I just did than making the reef ride. I was just hell bent on being
out there today, I knew I could do it, I wanted to do it, and I think I chose the right time to do it.
Although springtime, I just wish conditions would have been better. I think of all the four and six hour
and double sessions I had on Oahu - I compare everything to that experience - and today was really my longest
session of the trip, the most exhilarating, the most challenging and the most rewarding, without question.
I have been blessed with my "outside sitter" mentality because with the exception of that one Banana Board
longboard guy a couple of days ago, there was very little competition around me. I was very grateful for that, and it allows
for a freedom in your surfing - one less thing to worry about. My four waves today, I didn't look around
at all because no one was near me - or everyone else was scrambling a bit - so there was never a doubt
whether or not the wave was mine. Being aware of where everyone was, what they were riding, what waves they
were taking off on, that's a lot of mental work, but when your wave comes to you, you know it is yours
and you let everything else go and drop in without having to look around.
I was pretty tired after today. I passed out in the SUV with my feet hanging up on the door, framed
by two palm trees, passed out for an hour. I wanted to stay in my board shorts and rash guard as they
heated up and dried. Don't know if it was going to be my last time here, don't know if there will be waves
tomorrow. I leave at 2:30 p.m., which leaves plenty of time for a morning surf before leaving. I'm really tired of the
drive, honestly. I've done so much damn driving while I've been here. I need a cheufeur tomorrow to come pick
me up from the hotel at 6 a.m., surf the bay, then drop me back at the hotel by 11 a.m. so I can just grab my
stuff and leave. Will someone please do that for me?
My skin is really dry here. You would't think so while it is so humid, and with putting on so much sunscreen,
but I had to go out and buy a bunch of moisturizer and just pile it on every night after a shower. Really,
really dry. The sunburn from Monday is still hanging around and getting itchy. But if that's the only thing
that happened, like, not bouncing off the reef or getting caught by a macker or whatever - come to think of it,
I've basically made all the waves I've attempted, kept my feet and body off the reef...and haven't
wiped out the entire trip - that's good. Didn't think of it until just now. Saw a guy in the parking
lot going out after I came in, with such the gnarly reef scrape on his side it was BAD. All scabbed over
and stuff, like a bear had attached him and swiped him with five claws. I've seen a lot of that on the locals here.
I don't want any of it.
Be stoked for me. I had a very good, sizeable surf experience. Not perfect, but had I left not dropping into
a Bay Bomb I would have been disappointed. Yesterday's sacrifices, today's spoils.
No photos today. Everything was centered on me getting those four waves, no energy was
put anywhere else until I accomplished that. And when I got out, it was totally blown out
anyway. The photo of me at the top of the page is me getting hosed off by two little local Hawaiian
girls. The photo op was too good to pass up. So I reproduced it after running to get my camera. They asked
me, "Do I wear a wig to work?" When I said no, they were "Well, you should try it some time," as they squirted
fresh water on my head. I actually think it's the best photo of the trip. The one below 'aint bad either.
- Cliff
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